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Rh and the interjacent seas and islands, returning after nine years. See " An Account of a Geo- graphical and Astronomical Expedition to the Northern Parts of Russia, performed by Commodore Joseph Billings," from the papers of Martin Sauer, secretary to the expedition (London, 1802). BILLINGS, Josh. See Shaw, Henry Wheeler.

BILLINGS, William, composer, b. in Boston, Mass., 7 Oct., 1746 : d. there, 26 Sept., 1800. He was a tanner by trade, and afterward became a teacher. He was the earliest of American composers, and in- troduced in New England the lively and spirited style of devotional music. This was already in vogue in England; but, from the long popularity of Bill- ings's compositions, it came to be called in derision the Yankee style. Although deficient in technical requirements, his compositions were superior in melody to the airs of Tansur and other English com- posers in the same style. The introduction of his airs, which contained many fugues and melodious phrasing in the bass and intermediate parts that were often contrary to correct principles of harmony, necessitated the cultivation of the art of singing, which was entirely neglected so long as the music sung in the congregations was confined to a few slow, simple, old sacred melodies. Billings wrote the words to many of his tunes. He was a zealous patriot, and during the revolution produced a number of patriotic pieces, including " Lamenta- tion over Boston," " Retrospect," " Independence," and " Columbia," as well as verses set to the air of " Chester," which were popular in the camps of the revolutionary army. He published " The New England Psalm-Singer, or American Chorister, containing a Number of Psalm-Tunes, Anthems, and Canons," in Boston, in 1770. The pieces con- tained in it were deficient not only in harmony, but in melody, and especially in accent. In 1778 he issued " The Singing-Master's Assistant," professing to be an abridgment of the former work, in which the greater part of the tunes was omitted, and those retained were improved in melody and ac- cent. This collection grew to be very popular, and was known as " Billings's Best." In 1779 he pub- lished " Music in Miniature," containing thirty-two tunes from his previous books, eleven old European tunes, and thirty-one new and original composi- tions. In 1781 appeared "The Psahn-Singer's Amusement," which became exceedingly popular. His subsequent publications were " The Suffolk Harmony" (1786); "The Continental Harmony" (1794); and anthems entitled "Except the Lord build the House," "Mourn, Mourn, ye Saints," " The Lord is Risen from the Dead," and " Jesus Christ is Risen from the Dead."

BILLOPP, Christopher, soldier, b. on Staten Island, N. Y., in 1737; d. in St. John, New Bruns- wick, in 1827. His name was originally Farmer ; but he married the daughter of Capt. Christopher Billopp, of the British navy, who had obtained a patent for a large tract of land on Staten Island, and when his wife inherited this estate he adopted her father's name. He commanded a corps of loyalist militia, recruited in the vicinity of New York, during the American revolution, and, having been taken prisoner, was confined in the jail at Burlington, N. J. In 1782 he was superintendent of police on Staten Island. Under the act of New York his large property was confiscated, includ- ing the Billopp house "(still standing, as shown in the engraving), which he had erected, and at which Lord Howe, as a commissioner for Great Britain, met Franklin, John Adams, and Edward Rutledge, a committee of congress, with the expectation of removing obstacles in the way of a return of the colonies to their allegiance. At the close of the war Col. Billopp went to Nova Scotia, and was one of the fifty-five petitioners for land in that province in 1783. Soon afterward he removed

to New Brunswick, and was a member of the house of assembly and of the provincial council there. He claimed the office of administrator of the gov- ernment in 1823, on the death of Gov. Smythe, but was unsuccessful.

BINGHAM, Hiram, missionary, b. in Bennington, Vt., in 1789 ; d. in New Haven, Conn., 11 Nov., 1869. He was graduated at Middlebury college in 1816, and at Andover seminary in 1819, being ordained as a Congregational minister the same year. Having a strong desire to carry the gospel to the Sandwich islands, he ofl'ered his services to the American board and received an appointment in 1819. He was stationed on the island of Oahu at Honolulu, which soon became the permanent seat of government, and the chief resort of whaling and other ships of the North Pacific. His labors for twenty years gave him a strong influence over the rulers of the islands. In 1841 he returned to the United States.

BINGHAM, John Armor, b. in Mercer, Pa., in 1815. He passed two years in a printing-office, and then entered Franklin college, Ohio, but left, on account of his health, before graduation. He was admitted to the bar in 1840, was district attorney for Tuscarawas co., Ohio, from 1846 till 1849, was elected to congress as a republican in 1854, and re-elected three times, sitting from 1855 till 1863. He prepared in the 34th congress the report on the contested Illinois elections, and in 1862 was chairman of the managers of the house in the impeachment of Judge Humphreys for high treason. He failed of re-election in 1864, and was appointed by President judge-advocate in the army, and later the same year solicitor of the court of claims. He was special judge-advocate in the trial of the assassins of President Lincoln. In 1865 he returned to congress, and sat until 1873, serving on the committees on military affairs, freedmen, and reconstruction, and in the 40th congress as chairman of the committees on claims and judiciary, and was one of the managers in the impeachment trial of President. On 3 May, 1873, he received the appointment of minister to Japan, which post he held until 1885, when he was recalled by President .

BINGHAM, Judson David, soldier, b. at Massena Springs, St. Lawrence eo., N. Y., 16 May, 1831. He was appointed to West Point from Indiana, and graduated in 1854. He took part in the suppression of John Brown's raid at Harpers Ferry in 1859, and during: the civil war served in charge of trains